Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Neither a pet nor exploited.

Kiffer: Listen to this.

Joanna Lumley: Catwoman

Animal lover Joanna Lumley is turning cat detective, to explore the unique relationship we have with our feline friends in a brand new, two-part series for ITV1.

As she travels the world, Joanna meets the people who have a unique relationship with cats. She explores how such an unlikely partnership first began and why the cat stirs such conflicting emotions in us.

On her journey, Joanna find out how cats can be used as therapy, for shameless commercial purposes, uncovers the barbaric ways we have tortured them over the past 1000 years and explores the effects our breeding methods are having. She also meets the cats themselves, from domestic tabbys and show cats, to wild cheetahs and the lions who have been kept as pets.

Joanna’s travels include Egypt, Japan, Namibia, North America, Belize and Mexico as she seeks to find out why cats stir such different responses in different cultures.

From the Land of the Pharaohs where cats run wild in the streets, to the Far East where cats have clothes specially made for them, Joanna uncovers the history behind how these wild creatures have gradually became the number one pet in the Western world.

An ITV Studios production for ITV1.

By shameless commercial purposes do you think they mean us?

Pixie: Do you feel exploited?
Kiffer: No, I feel very comfortable and well fed. But I wish She would stop pushing paint around and come for a walk.
Pixie: I don't feel like a pet either. Neither exploited nor pet. What do you think Maurice?
Maurice: I think the builders have been here for a long time and they are a bit like pets and I heard them muttering about being exploited.

5 comments:

Jackie Morris said...

I would like to say that I feel a little exploited actually. I spend my time as the slave to six cats. I have worked for more than twenty years in publishing, with great writers like Ted Hughes, James Mayhew, Terry Pratchett, Vivian French, Caroline Pitcher, Mary Hoffman. I get some reviews, now and again. And yet the cats get media attention just for being ginger! They were born ginger! OK so they go for walks. I go for walks too! Do I get a film crew following me about? No.
Am I jealous, no. Do I feel exploited? Well, sadly, no. Just priveleged to live with six such beautiful animals.c

quiltcat said...

Maurice, we think those builders are more like "pests" than "pets." (But wait, does She feed them?) How exciting that you'll be making your TV debut soon!

The Ginger Darlings said...

Maurice: She gives them coffee and cake and biscuits and beer. But not cuddles. Sometimes she smiles at them. Sometimes she snarls.

missbreezysbox said...

I agree the builders are more like pests. Maybe they're taking longer because she gives them things. Wait, maybe they are pets.

Amanda said...

Ha! I do believe I just laughed out loud. By myself, after midnight, staring at the computer screen. Thanks gingers.